Constitution & Bylaws of the Great Pyrenees Club of America

Constitution

Article I – Name and Objectives

Section 1. The name of the Club shall be The Great Pyrenees Club of America, Incorporated. (GPCA, Club).

Section 2. The objectives of the Club shall be:

To do all possible to bring the natural qualities of pure-bred Great Pyrenees dogs (Great Pyrenees, the Breed) to perfection.
To encourage the organization of independent local Great Pyrenees specialty clubs (Affiliated Regional Clubs) in those localities where there are sufficient fanciers of the Breed to meet the requirements of the American Kennel Club (AKC).
To urge members and breeders to accept the standard of the breed written by The Great Pyrenees Club of America and approved by the American Kennel Club as the only standard of excellence by which Great Pyrenees shall be judged.
To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the Breed and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows, companion events and performance events.
To conduct specialty shows, companion events and other performance events (which have been accepted by the GPCA) under the rules of the American Kennel Club. To conduct competitions specific to Great Pyrenees under the rules of the Great Pyrenees Club of America.
To educate potential new owners of Great Pyrenees regarding specific care requirements BEFORE the dogs are placed in show, pet, and livestock guardian homes.
To provide education on a national basis to prevent cruelty and abuse of Great Pyrenees, rescue dogs from such situations, spay and neuter them, then rehome them with new owners, in conjunction with Affiliated Clubs and the rescue network throughout the US.
To establish, maintain, and promote a Health Committee for medical issues in Great Pyrenees and educate owners regarding care for their dogs. To disseminate the current genetic data available to encourage good breeding practices.
To establish, maintain, and promote a historical preservation committee devoted to the procurement, care, and display of objects of lasting interest or value at The Great Pyrenees Club of America’s National Specialties

Article III – Profit and Endorsement

The Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder or residue from dues or donations to the Club shall inure to the benefit of any member or individual, except the Club shall be authorized to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered to the club. Nor shall the Club endorse any privately produced activity, product, or publication.

Article IV – Revision

The members of the Club shall adopt and may from time to time revise such Bylaws as may be required to carry out these objects.

Bylaws

Article I – Membership and Associate Status

Section 1. ELIGIBILITY. Membership is open to all persons 10 years of age and older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club.

Section 2. TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP. There are four (4) types of membership, Full, Junior, Lifetime and Honorary.

A. Full Membership. For individuals 18 years or older. They must obtain the sponsorship of two Voting Members of the GPCA on their application form. The application will be published in the next official GPCA publication and/or on the authorized GPCA electronic platform, for approval or disapproval by the Membership. Regular dues payment, plus the initiation fee per individual, must be submitted at the time of application. Full Members may vote and hold elective office. Members may be added to the Breeder Referral List after completing three (3) years as a Full Member. The calculation for continuous membership will begin from the date of their acceptance to Full Membership.

B. Junior Membership. For individuals 10-17 years of age. They must obtain the sponsorship of two Voting Members of the GPCA on their application form. Junior Members must submit dues payment plus a one-time initiation fee per individual. Junior members cannot vote or hold office and automatically convert to Full Membership upon reaching their 18th birthday. Juniors will be responsible for notifying the Secretary and Membership Chairperson (Chair) of their 18th birthday.

C. Lifetime Membership. This shall be a special membership to be bestowed on those individuals who have been members for a lengthy period of time and have made a significant contribution to the Breed and the Club. Lifetime members pay no dues, but are eligible to vote, and hold office.

D. Honorary Membership. This shall be a special membership to be bestowed on those individuals who have made a significant and unique contribution to the Breed and the Club. Honorary members pay no dues and are not eligible to vote or hold office. Honorary members do not count toward the quorum at a meeting

Voting Members are Full Members and Lifetime Members who are in good standing. Election to office is limited to Voting Members who are residents of the United States.

Candidates for Honorary or Lifetime memberships may be proposed by the Board of Directors (Board, Directors), or by written petition addressed to the Secretary and signed by 20% of the Voting Membership. Nominations for Lifetime and/or Honorary Membership will be reviewed by the Board and a two-thirds (2/3’s) vote of the Board will be required to elect individuals to these special membership categories.

Section 3. ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP. Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form as approved by the Board of Directors. The form shall state that the applicant agrees to abide by this Constitution and Bylaws, the GPCA Code of Ethics, and the Rules of the AKC. The application shall state the name, contact information of the applicant. Applicants’ names will appear in the next official Club publication and/or on the current authorized electronic platform.

Protests to new Members must be sent within 30 days following the publication of the new applicant’s name in the official Club publication and/or on the current authorized electronic platform. If no protest is filed within 30 days, the applicant will automatically be granted membership. Each Voting Member is entitled to endorse four (4) applicants per calendar year. The sponsors must know the potential new member on a personal basis for at least one year. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year, plus an initiation fee per individual. The second member in the same household applying for membership pays one half of the membership dues plus the initiation fee.

Any Voting Member, including the Board of Directors, may protest the acceptance of a prospective Member by setting forth the reasons in writing to the Secretary, accompanied by a $100 filing fee, which is refundable if the charges are upheld. The filing fee must be received by the Secretary within the allotted 30 days. The Secretary will confirm the receipt of the protest and will notify pertinent people that a protest has been received. Such protests will be referred to a committee appointed by the Board of Directors. Upon completion of an inquiry, and after consideration of the facts found, the committee will report its findings to the Board who will act upon the application. Affirmative votes of two-thirds (2/3) of the Board voting by secret ballot shall be required to elect an applicant who has been protested. This balloting may be done by electronic communication sent individually to the Secretary by each Board member.

An application which has received a negative vote by the Board may be presented by one of the applicant’s endorsers at the next Annual Meeting of the Club and the Club may elect such applicant by a favorable vote of 75% of the members present.

Section 4. DUES & INITIATION FEE: The membership dues for the ensuing fiscal year shall be determined by the Voting Members present at the Annual Meeting. There may be an initiation fee for each individual, the amount for such fee will be determined by the Board. The second member in the same household will pay dues reduced by one half. Additional members at the same address will pay full dues. Each applicant will pay the initiation fee and go through the approval process as described in Section 3 of this Article.

During the month of May, the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of their dues for the ensuing year, which are due July 1st. Members that do not pay their dues by July 1st will be required to;

pay the applicable dues amount,
pay a Board approved reinstatement fee and
submit a re-instatement form which will require an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Board, voting at a meeting where a quorum is present.

If a member has not paid their dues by July 1st, they forfeit all rights and privileges of membership (including the right to vote, nominate and petition) for the entire fiscal year. If the reinstatement application is approved by the Board the member’s record for continuous membership will not be penalized.

Section 5. APPLICATION AND APPROVAL OF ASSOCIATE STATUS: For individuals 18 years of age or older. Applicants’ names will appear in the next official Club publication and/or on the current authorized electronic platform. They must submit the regular dues payment. Associates are not considered members of the GPCA, and they are not entitled to the rights of membership.

Each candidate will apply on a form approved by the Board and will include the same information as indicated in Section 3. The requirement of two (2) sponsors is waived for Associates. The application will be published as indicated in Section 3 for members and may be protested by Voting Members as indicated in Section 3.

An Associate may convert their status to Full Membership after two (2) consecutive years as an associate provided, they submit an additional application with the names of two Voting Members as sponsors, dues for the year, and the initiation fee. This application to change status will also be published as indicated in Section 3 Election to Membership.

Section 6. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP or ASSOCIATE STATUS. Memberships may be terminated:

Resignation. Any member may resign from the Club upon written notice to the Secretary
Lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid after July 1st. However, the Board may grant an additional period of time in meritorious cases.
Expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided for in Article VI of these Bylaws

Should an Associate misrepresent themselves as a Member, their status will be immediately revoked, and they will be barred from re-applying for Associate Status or Membership for a term of two (2) years from the date their status was revoked by the Club.

Article II – Meetings

Section 1. ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Meeting of the Club shall be held on or between the last weekend in March and the first weekend in May in conjunction with the Club’s National Specialty Show, at a place, date, and hour designated by the Board of Directors. The Secretary will be responsible for ensuring that the Notice of the Annual Meeting is published during the first quarter of the year in the official Club publication and/or on the current authorized electronic platform. The Quorum for the Annual Meeting shall be 10% of the Voting Members. Non-voting Members do not count towards the determination of the quorum.

Section 2. SPECIAL CLUB MEETINGS. Special Club meetings may be called by the President or by a majority vote of the members of the Board who are present at a meeting of the Board or by electronic communication. Special Club meetings shall also be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by 10% of the Voting Members of the Club. Such meeting shall be held at such place, date and hour as designated by the Board of Directors. Notice of such meeting shall be communicated to the membership by the Secretary at least 30 days prior to the meeting. The notice of the meeting shall state the purpose of the meeting and that no other club business may be transacted. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 10% of the Voting Members.

Section 3. BOARD MEETINGS. The first meeting of the Board shall be held immediately following the Annual Meeting and election. Other meetings of the Board, both regular and special, shall be held at such times and places as are designated by the President or by a majority vote of the entire Board. Written notice of such meetings shall be communicated by the Secretary to each member of the Board at least one (1) day prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for a Board meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

The Board of Directors may conduct Board business in person, by video conference, teleconference, or other forms of electronic communication The Board may conduct business if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time.

Section 4. The Board of Directors may conduct meetings in person, by videoconference or by teleconference. It may conduct its business at meetings or by mail, e-mail or telephone calls in accordance with AKC policy (2/2001; revised 4/2003). E-mail may not be used when a secret ballot is called for, but may be used for all other types of business provided that: 1) every Board member is provided with a means to participate; 2) the identity of each individual participating is verified; 3) a mechanism is in place to ensure all eligible Board members are participating; and 4) each year, all Board members agree to participate in this manner.

Article III – Directors and Officers

Section 1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The general management of the Club’s affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors, unless otherwise stated in these bylaws. The Board shall be comprised of nine members, all of whom shall be Voting Members and are residents of the United States. There shall be three Directors elected annually by expiring terms. These shall be three-year terms which become effective immediately after the Annual Meeting and shall be filled as provided for in Article IV. No Director may serve for more than two successive elected three-year terms within an eight (8) year period. Two members residing under one roof may not serve at the same time on the Board of Directors. The Club’s Officers shall consist of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, who shall be elected by the Board of Directors annually. The election of these officers will be made from the members of the Board at a meeting, which shall be held immediately following the Annual Meeting of the Club. Candidates for election to the Board of Directors shall have been full members for a minimum of five (5) years before running for the Board. Elected Board members are expected to attend the annual meeting and actively participate in voting and discussions during the year. They should be familiar with basic computer skills such as email, word processing, spreadsheets, and file sharing methods.

Section 2. OFFICERS.
The Club’s Officers, consisting of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer shall serve in their respective capacities both in regard to the Club and its meetings and the Board and its meetings.

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Board and shall have the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the Office of the President in addition to those particularly specified by these Bylaws.
The Vice President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President’s death, absence, or incapacity, or death.
The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club, and of the Board, and of all votes taken by mail and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club. They shall; have charge of all correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, notify Officers and Directors of their election to office, keep a roll of all the members of the Club who are in good standing, with their addresses and additional contact information, and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these Bylaws.
The Treasurer shall manage all Club financial transactions, including collection of dues, and shall keep a detailed accounting of receipts and disbursements. They shall deposit Club funds in a bank approved by the Board in the name of the Club. Club books shall be open to the inspection of Board members at all times and there will be an annual audit of the books arranged by the Board of Directors. The audit cannot be conducted by any member of the Board. The Treasurer shall make a quarterly report to the Board of all financial activity ensuing during the previous three months and an annual report to members of all money received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be responsible for preparing and filing financial reports with state and federal revenue offices. They shall be bonded in such amount, as the Board of Directors shall determine. In addition to their routine bookkeeping duties, the Treasurer shall have the deeper obligation of keeping the Board of Directors and membership aware of the health of the Club’s financial position, projecting expenses and income.

Should any of the officers require additional assistance in completing their duties, the Board may appoint assistants from the members of the Board, who are not serving as officers, or any Voting Member.

Section 3. VACANCIES. Any vacancies occurring on the Board will be filled by the current Board for the remainder of the term of the Director leaving the Board. A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled automatically by the Vice President. Any vacancy occurring among the other officers, during the year, shall be filled until the next Annual Election by a majority vote of the then members of the Board.

Section 4. DELEGATE TO THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB. The delegate to the American Kennel Club shall be appointed by the Board of Directors annually. A member of the Board of Directors may be appointed as Delegate. The duties of the Delegate shall be to attend the quarterly meetings of the American Kennel Club Delegates whenever possible, and to report the results of these meetings to the Board of Director.

Article IV – The Club Year, Voting, Nominations, Elections

Section 1. CLUB YEAR. The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on the first day of July and end on the 30th day of June. The Club’s official year shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting and shall continue through the next Annual Meeting. The elected Officers and Directors shall take office immediately upon the conclusion of the Annual Meeting and each retiring officer shall turn over to his successor all properties and records relating to that office within 30 days after the election.

Section 2. VOTING. At the Annual Meeting or at a special meeting of the Club, voting shall be limited to Voting Members who are present at the meeting, except for the annual election of Directors, amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws, and the Standard for the Breed, which shall be decided by written ballot cast by mail, or by secure electronic balloting in accordance with State Law and AKC Policy. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted. The Board of Directors may decide to submit other specific questions for decision of the members by written ballot cast by mail or by secure electronic balloting. A written ballot on a single issue can be requested by a petition signed by 10% of the Voting Members. Decisions reached by a written ballot, can only be amended by a subsequent
written ballot.

Section 3. ANNUAL MEETING. The election of Directors shall be conducted in advance of the ANNUAL MEETING. To be valid ballots must be received by the Independent Tabulator, 20 days before the date of the ANNUAL MEETING. The Independent Tabulator receives, counts the ballots, and forwards the results to the Secretary and President 10 days before the ANNUAL MEETING. The complete results will be announced at the ANNUAL MEETING. The person receiving the largest number of votes for each position shall be declared elected. In case of a close vote, or if requested by a nominee, a recount may be held. Three Inspectors of Elections who are members in good standing and are not members of old or new Board will be appointed by the existing Board of Directors immediately after the annual meeting. The inspectors will conduct the recount immediately and will report the results to the Board. If any nominee, at the time of the meeting, is unable to serve for any reason, such nominee shall not be allowed to serve and the vacancy so created shall be filled by the new Board of Directors in the manner provided by Article III, Section 3.

Motions may be brought by the membership at the ANNUAL MEETING. Such motions that have passed with a two thirds majority of the membership present and voting can only be modified or rescinded at a subsequent ANNUAL MEETING.

Section 4. NOMINATIONS AND BALLOTS. No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated in accordance with these Bylaws. A Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the Board of Directors before June 1st. The committee shall consist of at least seven members in good standing from different areas of the US no more than one of whom shall be a member of the current Board of Directors. The Board shall name a chairperson for the Committee. If possible, each GPCA region should have representation on this committee. The Board will also suggest additional members for this committee with the Chair having the responsibility to confirm that the individual is willing to serve.

The Nominating Committee shall nominate one candidate for each vacancy on the Board of Directors from among the Voting Members, who have been Voting Members for a minimum of five (5) years before running for the Board and shall procure the acceptance of each nominee so chosen. The Committee should consider geographical representation of the membership on the Board to the extent that it is practicable to do so. The Committee, by September 1st shall submit its slate of candidates to the Secretary who shall provide the list, including the full name of each candidate, and the name of the state in which they resides, to each member of the Club on or before October 1st so that additional nominations may be made by Voting Members if they so desire.
Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition, by electronic communication or mail, addressed to the Secretary and received on or before November 15th, signed by five (5) members, residing in different households, and accompanied by the written acceptance of each such additional nominee signifying his willingness to be a candidate.

If no valid additional nominations are received by the Secretary on or before November 15th, the Nominating Committee’s slate shall be declared elected at the time of the Annual Meeting and no balloting will be required.

If one or more valid additional nominations are received by the Secretary on or before November 15th, the Secretary shall, no later than January 1st, provide to each Voting Member a physical or electronic ballot listing all of the nominees in alphabetical order, with the names of the state in which they reside, together with a physical or electronic return envelope addressed to the Independent Tabulator and bearing the name of the member(s) to whom it was sent. To be valid ballots must be received by the Independent Tabulator, 20 days before the date of the Annual Meeting. The Independent Tabulator shall check the returns against the list of Voting Members prior to the opening of the physical or electronic envelopes and shall certify the eligibility of the voters as well as the results of the voting which shall be announced at the Annual Meeting. The Independent Tabulator counts the ballots and forwards the results to the Secretary and President 10 days before the Annual Meeting. If they are physical ballots they will be sent in a sealed Ballots’ Box to the Secretary. If a recount is requested for:

Electronic ballots: A report will be generated by the Independent Tabulator showing each voting member’s name and their vote.
Physical ballots: The Secretary will provide the Ballots’ Box to the Inspectors of Elections.

Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or in any manner other than as provided above.

Article V – Committees

Section 1. Committee Appointments
The Board may each year appoint committees to advance the work of the Club. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board and may be disbanded at any time. The Board may appoint only a chairperson, who will select the other committee members with Board approval, or the Board may appoint the entire committee. Committees may also be created by the membership at the Annual meeting or by petition to the Board.

Section 2. Types of Committees

A. Standing committees will assist the Board by working on such matters as dog shows, obedience trials, trophies, annual prizes, rescue, membership, and other fields which may be well served by committees. Standing committees are generally appointed for one (1) year. The Board may extend the appointments annually.

B. Special committees are ad hoc and will be appointed to serve a particular function. The committee will disband once the task is completed. An example of such a committee is the Bylaws Review committee.

C. Judges’ Education Committee is appointed by the Board to provide education to judges looking to be approved to judge Great Pyrenees at AKC events. The Board will select the chairperson and will approve all other committee members. The Committee will include members from various geographic areas of the US and may include no more than one current Board member. The members of this committee will be limited to no more than four (4) years of consecutive service.

D. Ethics Committee is seven (7) members, appointed by the Board, whose purpose shall be to investigate charges against a club member for conduct not in the best interests in the Club or Breed. The Chairperson will be member of the Board of Directors. The remaining Board selected committee members shall be comprised of four (4) additional members, one (1) from each time zone in the country, if feasible, and two (2) alternates, who are not current Board members. No Committee member shall serve more than three (3) consecutive years.

Section 3. COMMITTEE TERMINATION
Any committee appointment(s) may be terminated, or the committee may be disbanded by a majority vote of the full Board of Directors. Written notice of the termination or disbandment will be sent by the President to the appointee(s). Such notice may be sent via written communication. The Board may appoint successors to those persons whose service has been terminated.

Article VI – Discipline

Section 1. THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB SUSPENSION. Any Member who is suspended from any of the privileges of the American Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like period. It is the Members’ responsibility to notify the Secretary of the GPCA of the American Kennel Club’s action pertaining to suspension or action of suspension within one week of the incident, or written notification from the AKC. Failure to notify the Secretary could result in the loss of Club privileges for the additional amount of time from the effective date of the AKC suspension to the date the Club received the Member’s notification.

Section 2. CHARGES. Any Voting Member, Affiliated Regional Club, or non-member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or Breed. Non-members preferring charges must have standing in the allegation(s). Written charges with specifications must be filed with the Secretary together with a sum of $200, fully refundable if the charges are upheld. The Secretary shall send a copy of the charges to the Ethics Committee Chair, and notify the filler of receipt, withing 10 days of receiving the allegations. The Chairperson will send a copy of the charges to the Ethics Committee members as soon as possible but no more than 14 days later. Any Ethics Committee member or Board member who is a party to the charges must recuse themselves.

The Ethics Committee shall review all documentation to consider whether the alleged charges might constitute a violation of the Code of Ethics or conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Breed or Club. If the Ethics Committee considers that the alleged charges do not constitute a violation of the Code of Ethics or conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interest of the Breed or Club, they shall dismiss the charges and communicate their decision to the parties involved and the Board within 10 days of receiving all the documentation. If the Committee determines, by majority vote, that there is sufficient evidence of a violation of the Code of Ethics or conduct which would be prejudicial to the Breed or Club, they will communicate their decision to the parties involved and the Board within 10 days of receiving all the documentation. The Committee then will be entrusted to seek a solution through mediation with the parties involved in the dispute, sanction the member or, in cases of serious violations, recommend suspension or expulsion to the Board. The Committee will notify the parties and the Board of the final resolution within 10 days. A member will have the right to appeal the Committee decision to the Board within 30 days of notification.

When the Ethics Committee recommends suspension or expulsion to the Board, the case will require a Board Hearing. The Ethics Committee will supply the Board with all information compiled at the time they refer the case to the Board.

Section 3. BOARD HEARING. The Board shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, but both complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard. Should the charges be sustained after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by complainant and defendant, the Board may, by a majority vote of those present, suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six months from the date of the hearing, or until the next Annual Meeting if that will occur after six months.

Immediately after the Board has reached a decision, its findings will be put in written form and filed with the Secretary. The Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the decision and penalty, if any.

In the determination of suspension, Members will have a right of appeal of the Board decision by presenting their information to the members present at the next Annual Meeting. Any appeal will be determined by written ballot of those Voting Members present. If the appeal is approved by the majority of those voting, the member will be reinstated to good standing effective at the close of the Annual Meeting.

If the Board deems that suspension is insufficient, it may recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. In such cases, the suspension shall be in effect until the next Annual Meeting.

Section 4. EXPULSION. Expulsion of a member from the Club may only be accomplished, after a Board Hearing, at the Annual Meeting of the Club, and with the recommendation of the Board, as provided in Section 3 of this Article. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his own behalf though no evidence shall be taken at the Meeting. The President shall read the charges, the findings and the recommendations and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak on his own behalf. The meeting shall then vote by written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A two-thirds (2/3’s) vote of those Voting Members present at the Annual Meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted the suspension shall stand for a period of six (6) months from the date of the Annual Meeting.

Article VII – Amendments

Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws and revisions to the Standard for the Breed may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by 20% of the Voting Membership. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted to the Voting Membership, with the recommendations of the Board, for a vote within three (3) months of the date when the Secretary received the petition.

The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended, or the Standard for the Breed revised, at any time provided a copy of the proposed changes have been sent, by the Secretary, to each Voting Member on that date, accompanied by a written or electronic ballot on which to indicate their choice, for or against, the actions to be taken. The notice shall specify a date, not less than 30 days after the date sent, by which the ballots must be submitted to be valid and counted by an Independent Tabulator. The favorable vote of 2/3 of the Voting Members who submit valid ballots shall be required to affect any such amendment

No amendment to the Constitution and Bylaws, or to the Standard for the Breed, which is adopted by the Club shall become effective until it has been approved by the Board of Directors of the American Kennel Club.

Article VIII – Dissolution

The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than two thirds (2/3’s) of the Voting Members. In the event of the dissolution of the Club whether voluntary, involuntary or by operation of law, none of the property of the Club nor any proceeds thereof nor any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any members of the Club. After payment of debts of the Club, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs selected by the Board of Directors.

Article IX – Order of Business

At meetings of the Club, the order of business so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be as follows:

Roll Call
Minutes of Last Meeting
Report of President
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Elections at Annual Meeting
Election of New Members
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment

At meetings of the Board, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

Reading of Minutes of Last Meeting
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Unfinished Business
Election of New Officers
New Business
Adjournment

Article X- Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the GPCA in all cases to which they may be applicable and in which they are consistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order the GPCA may adopt.

These Bylaws are subject to and governed by the state of Maryland Not-For-Profit Corporation Laws and the Articles of Incorporation of the state of Maryland. In the event of a direct conflict between the provisions of these Bylaws and the mandatory provisions of the Maryland State Not-For-Profit Corporation Laws, the Maryland State Not-For-Profit Corporation Act will be controlling.

A publication of the Great Pyrenees Club of America, Inc.
Adopted 1972, Revised 1974, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1989, 2001, 2005, 2013, 2023